1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a motor vehicle and more particularly to a rain gutter construction therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a previously proposed arrangement shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, a rain gutter has been provided along the roof and down the front pillar of the vehicle. In this arrangement, the numeral 1 denotes a roof panel, 2 a roof side rail, 3 a connector panel interconnecting the roof panel 1 and the roof side rail, 4 a sub-weather strip fixed to the respective connecting flanges of the roof panel and the connector panel, 5 a door sash, 6 a main door weather strip which is fixed to the sash 5 for engagement with the roof side rail 2 and providing a seal between the cabin interior and the external ambient atmosphere, and 8 a drip channel which is fixed to the front pillar 7.
Mounted on the front pillar 7 through an adhesive mass 11 and rubber seal member 12 is a windshield glass 10. Suitably mounted on the inner panel of the pillar 7 is a pillar finish 16 and fixed to the outer panel of the front pillar is a decorative mould 13. Attached to the bottom of the door sash 5 is a channel-like member 15 which receives a weather strip 17 adapted to sealingly receive a door window glass 14 therein.
The sub-weather strip 4 in this arrangement is arranged to continuously extend in the shadow of the door sash 5 along the roof rail and down the front pillar and further to resiliently engage an inboard surface of the door sash to provide, in combination with the weather strip 6, a double sealing effect and simultaneously define a gutter 9 for draining off rain water or the like.
However, this arrangement has suffered from the drawback that the drain channel or gutter defined down the front pillar is open to the atmosphere and defines an air-dam which both produces a disturbing noise when the vehicle is driven and which also adds to the wind resistance of same. To overcome this, it has been subsequently proposed to eliminate the rain gutter; however, this has led to the occupants being wetted by rain water or the like, which tends to collect at the top of the door, upon egress from the vehicle.